In 2023, the Quogue Library and Quogue Historical Society came together to create an oral history project to preserve the history of the Village of Quogue as told by some of its current residents from their own firsthand lived experiences. “Tides of Time: Memories and Voices of Quogue” documents their personal narratives and captures memories of life in the village through recorded interviews. The recordings, along with text transcripts, will add to and enhance the QHS and Library collections, serving as an invaluable primary source of information and wisdom for future generations of residents and researchers on the rich history of our unique community. 

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According to the Oral History Association, “Oral history is a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events.” Oral history is about memory and lived experiences. It is about how people give meaning to the past. “Tides of Time: Memories and Voices of Quogue” will be particularly impactful because audio oral histories allow the audience to hear the narrators’ own voices as they tell their stories. 

This new audio project will be the first of its kind in Quogue and will make use of the advanced  recording technology available at the Quogue Library’s Innovation Lab. Residents will be interviewed and recorded at the Library by members of the Quogue Historical Society board and Library technology staff. 

 

Once the interviews are completed, the audio recordings and text transcripts will be uploaded to the New York Heritage Digital Collections repository for long-term preservation. Library staff will receive certification training from LILRC on how to format and upload the files to the repository. There, the collection of oral histories will be available to the public for posterity, to serve as a permanent document of Quogue’s legacy. The recordings will also be accessible on the Library’s website and copies will be available in the Library. 

 

“We couldn’t be more proud to partner with the Historical Society on this exciting project that will showcase the sophisticated technology housed in our Innovation Lab,” said Library Managing Director Susan McKenna. “Thanks to the leadership of our board and the support of our community, we are able to provide the equipment and facilities to execute this project with the polish and professionalism our residents expect from their Library – all inside of our beautiful and friendly new space where many residents already feel at home.”

 

“The Historical Society is thrilled to shepherd this landmark project along with the Library and the people of Quogue,” added Historical Society Co-chair and Quogue Village Historian Pi Gardiner. “The state-of-the-art technology and expertise available at the Library combined with the knowledge and insights of the Historical Society are an unbeatable match in documenting the lived human experience in our beloved community.”

 

Participation in the oral history recording program is currently limited to invite-only interviews of Quogue residents from a list curated by the Quogue Historical Society and Quogue Library. As the program develops, a waiting list will be shared on the Library’s and Historical Society’s websites for interested Quogue residents to sign up to be notified when the program is open for additional interviews. 

 

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Download a PDF of the standard release document 

 

View the Quogue Library's collection on the New York Heritage website 

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Access the online form to be placed on a waiting list for potential interviewees from the Quogue community